Triplets, 26 Days Old

Emily with Mommy Time

Matthew Sleeping

Austin with Daddy! Austin had a 2 oz growth spurt! Way to go Austin!

Mom with the Boys! Matthew on left and Austin on right--awake!11/30: This morning I pumped at 7am. Rob got up and took milk downstairs and then came back up and suggested we stay in bed a little bit longer. I agreed as I was feeling tired but no sooner had we gotten comfy again when the phone rang. It was Heather, one of the nurses, asking if we were on our way because they were out of milk! YIKES!!! I panicked! I asked her to please hold off giving Emily formula and that we would be there asap! The time is here that I can not produce enough breast milk! The babies are eating more and that is great because they are growing so I am preparing myself. Tomorrow will probably be the first day that at least one of their feedings will be formula. It is probably a good idea to start just in case one of the babies has an intolerance for formula-silver lining! The babies are doing wonderful!! Austin has much improved and we are happy to see him improving! Matthew and Emily are growing and doing extremely well also! Matthew is quite the showoff--he drank his whole bottle in 6 minutes! They are usually given 20 minutes to drink a bottle. If they don't finish it in 20 minutes, they usually give them the rest through their feeding tube...so, Matthew was quite the STAR today! There is nothing better in my day than holding each of my babies! We came home and I took a nap while Rob went to the commissary to buy groceries for the week! He came home and cooked a wonderful beef roast with lovely potatoes and carrots! YUM!
Important Updates:
Austin weighs 4 lbs 4 oz (1926 grams) (He gained 2 oz!! Yay, Austin!)
Matthew weighs 4 lbs 7 oz (2016 grams)
Emily weighs 4 lbs 7 oz (2013 grams)

Triplets, 25 Days Old

11/29: Our Saturday started with me pumping away! I am now struggling to keep up with milk production! Matthew and Emily are both taking 38 mls every 3 hours and Austin is eating 36 mls every 3 hours. We no longer have any milk in the freezer so what I bring in every morning is what my babies will eat that day! It is pretty scary...however...we have discussed this many times over with the lactation specialist and she has looked at the numbers and what I am pumping in a 24 hour period and she says that I am doing extremely well trying to keep up with feeding THREE babies!!! The expectation I have for myself is high and I know that there will come a day (maybe soon) that several feedings a day will have to be supplemented by formula! I am saddened by this notion but I know that my body can only do so much. (I am taking "fenugreek", an herbal pill that is supposed to help with milk production and I have had a small increase!) Anyway, our babies looked great today!! Austin is doing much better today after only 24 hours on vaportherm! Matthew is our champ! He is bottle feeding so well!! Emily bottle feeds well but usually only takes about 1/2 a bottle before she gets too sleepy!! I also was able to put all babies to breast today!! What a great day it turned out to be despite the gloomy weather! Yes, despite the fact that we live in Hawaii, we do have gray, rainy, gloomy weather!!
Important Updates:
Austin weighs 4 lbs 2 oz (1880 grams)
Matthew weighs 4 lbs 6 oz (1989 grams)
Emily weighs 4 lbs 55 oz (1968 grams)

Triplets, 24 Days Old

11/28: Pretty uneventful day at the hospital. We were present today as the doctor examined Austin, Matthew and Emily. The doctor is still a bit concerned with Austin and his labored breathing so he has decided to put him on "vaportherm". Vaportherm is almost the same as the breathing therapy he is on now but with vaportherm it is a warm mist that will be mixed with room air. This should help him a bit more. My little Austin just needs a bit more attention and care! I spent the morning carrying and loving on him and giving him extra Mommy love because I think he really needs it--not that I neglect my Matthew and Emily! They get good Mommy time as well!! Matthew passed Emily in weight! Way to go Matthew!! He was our smallest baby and now he is our heaviest!!
Important Updates:
Austin weighs 4 lbs 1 oz (1852 grams)
Matthew weighs 4 lbs 5 oz (1966 grams)
Emily weighs 4 lbs 5 oz (1953 grams)

Triplets, 23 Days Old

Our First Thanksgiving!!

11/27: Our babies are doing wonderful today! It is such a pleasure for me to get out of the elevator on the 4th floor--it just means I am inches away from my babies! I am excited today because it is our first big holiday as a family! We took beautiful pictures as a family today! We have wonderful nurses who entertain our ideas (big shoutout to Laura and Dina!!) and they helped us get the babies ready and took our pictures! Austin, Matthew and Emily were as cooperative as they could be but my little ones were quite sleepy! Either way we got great pictures with them!! Oh, I actually put make up and contacts today) We spent the morning with the babies up until noon. At 12 Rob came home and I stayed at the hospital. My girlfriend Issis has not been able to come to visit the babies except the week they were born because she has 3 kids of her own. Today she dropped the kids off at our house and Rob watched them (and cooked) while she came to visit the babies. Overall, we had another GREAT day with Austin, Matthew and Emily!!

Happy Thoughts: A visit from Tía Issis!

Important Updates:
Austin weighs 4 lbs 0 oz
Matthew weighs 4 lbs 3 oz (1901 grams)
Emily weighs 4 lbs 3 oz (1906 grams)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Chancy Rob carving the duck!

Thanksgiving 2008 with Issis, Xander, Stevie, Chancy.

11/27: Happy Thanksgiving!!
What a great day!! Rob and I are most thankful for our little beautiful babies! We give thanks to our good Lord for allowing us to be parents and to have the opportunity to bring up these three amazing babies! Austin, Matthew and Emily will enrich our lives and we give THANKS for that!
We want to give thanks for the hospital and hospital staff where our babies have been for the last 23 days! Our doctors and nurses are top-notch--Thank you, Lord!!!
We want to give thanks for our parents for their unending support!
I want to give thanks for my sister Norma and my sister Ellie for giving me so much love and dedication!
We want give thanks for all our friends! We have been blessed with so many friends all over this great nation and here in Hawaii! They truly feel like family to us!
We want to give thanks for those friends we haven't met but have met electronically through other friends and family! Thanks for the support you give us!
We want to give thanks for our employers and collegues for supporting us and lending us a hand and for them being so understanding!!
So many more things to be thankful for today!!! We truly feel that this is one of the best Thanksgivings ever!!! More thoughts later--we are rushing off to go spend our first Thanksgiving with Austin, Matthew and Emily!! Our FIRST Thanksgiving as a FAMILY!!!

Triplets, 22 Days Old

Our 3 PeasMom with PeasDaddy feeding Austin

Daddy with Emily

Mom holding Emily

Who Me?

11/26: Austin, Matthew and Emily are doing great today! Austin is still having a bit of trouble with his breathing. This is quite normal for premies we are told by his doctors and is to be expected. They are monitoring him closely. My little one just needs a little extra help! Matthew our smallest baby is quickly gaining on sister Emily! Today was his last dose of caffeine which he has been getting for the last two weeks! It is so amazing to see their growth! Their legs are starting to fill out a little bit! Emily is still ahead in weight but not by much. She is amazing and likes to stay awake when we visit! She has the most beautiful big eyes!! If you notice--their weights have slowed down this week it is because they are 'nippling' or bottle feeding. This takes alot of effort and energy!!
Happy Thoughts: Today is my little sister's birthday!! Happy Birthday Ellie!! I hope you have a wonderful day!!!
Important Updates:
Austin weighs 4 lbs 0 oz
Matthew weighs 4 lbs 1 3/4 oz
Emily weighs 4 lbs 2 oz

Triplets, 21 Days Old

Our 3 Peas (Emily on left, Matthew in Middle and Austin on right)The boys!EmilyMom with Austin

Mom with Matthew

11/25: Our Babies are 3 weeks old today! It truly is amazing how fast time is flying! In some way it feels like time is still but in another way it really is flying! Austin is still using his canula to give him extra air-(It isn't oxygen just room air.) He also passed his hearing test today! Overall, he is doing well and caught up to 'little brother' and 'little sister' and broke 4 lbs today!!! Matthew is also doing very well. He looks great and was awake a long time today! Emily is growing and growing! We are so proud of all our babies! Today, they started bottle feeding them every other feeding. They don't want to do every feeding because it really does take alot of energy for them to nipple and while we were there I was able to 'suckle' the babies--put babies to breast. They can't exactly latch on but for maybe 2-4 min but it helps them to get used to Mommy's breast! It also is supposed to help release prolactin which will help my milk production. They all did wonderful-remember in order for them to bottle feed they have to be awake! Today we also got results from their "newborn" tests-the 24 tests they are tested for upon birth and all tests were negative!! So, we have perfectly normal babies...BUT of course, we already knew that!
Happy Thoughts: Today Auntie Meegan came to visit! She came and brought gifts and her little sister to meet the babies!! Thanks for visiting Auntie Meegan!
Important Updates:
Austin weighs 4 lbs o oz
Matthew weighs 4 lbs 1 oz
Emily weighs 4 lbs 2 oz